Notre Dame's Greatest Coaches: Rockne, Leahy, Parseghian, Holtz

Focusing less on Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Asa Parseghian and Lou Holtz than on Moose Kraus, who had a 60-year association with the Fighting Irish as player, coach and athletic director until his death last year, this memoir captures the spirit that has made the college at South Bend so successful on the football field. Kraus was esteemed for his public persona as a storehouse of Notre Dame lore, but few knew of his private tragedy. An automobile accident in 1967 left his wife, Elise, seriously impaired mentally, with her last years spent in a nursing home, and led him into alcoholism, which he eventually conquered. Writing with Singular ( Talked to Death ) Kraus makes the point that each of the college's winningest coaches was a great motivator: Rockne through oratory, Leahy through fear, Parseghian through brilliance, Holtz through his command of detail about the game and his players' personalities. A book that should attract Notre Dame alumni and general fans alike. Photos not seen by PW. (Sept.)